Sea of Suspicion

East Coast of Scotland #1

by Toni Anderson

NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLING AUTHORFrom New York Times and USA Today bestselling author Toni Anderson, a “riveting story of suspense and the depths and heights of human character”* set on the rugged east coast of Scotland. A Nook Top 100 bestseller and a Best Book of 2010 Nominee by The Romance ReviewsMarine biologist Susie Cooper traded her life in America for a dream job on the rugged Scottish coast. Now all she lacks is the right man to start a family with. After their first meeting, she knows sexy Detective Inspector Nick Archer isn’t what she’s looking for. He’s the type of guy whose idea of commitment is staying the whole night.Nick has returned to St. Andrews for one reason only—to fulfill his vow to find his wife’s killer. Relentless in his twelve-year quest for justice, he has no problem using Susie to get close to his primary her boss. But the passion between them smolders, and as it ignites, Nick finds himself torn between his past and his present—with Susie.When one of her boss’s students is murdered, Nick’s investigation draws Susie into a web of madness and betrayal. They will have to learn to trust each other if they’re going to catch a killer...and come out of this alive.This book is approximately 84,000 wordsOne-click with confidence. This title is part of the Carina Press Romance all the romance you’re looking for with an HEA/HFN. It’s a promise! * The Romance ReviewsOriginally published in 2010

Genres: Romantic Suspense, Romance, Contemporary, Suspense, Contemporary Romance, Mystery, Thriller

314 pages, Kindle Edition

First published June 1, 2010

About the author

Next Release: COLD HEAT
Put it on your "To Read" shelf.


BUY LINKS:



Put it on your "To Read" shelf.
https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/2...

Toni Anderson® writes gritty, sexy, FBI Romantic Thrillers, and is a New York Times and a USA Today bestselling author. Her books have won the Daphne du Maurier Award for excellence in Mystery/Suspense, the Readers' Choice, Aspen Gold, Book Buyers' Best, Golden Quill, and National Excellence in Romance Fiction awards. She’s been a finalist in The Vivian Contest and the RITA Award from the Romance Writers of America, and also in the Romantic Novelists’ Association’s Jackie Collins Award for Romantic Thrillers.

Her books have been downloaded more than three million times.

Best known for her Cold Justice® books perhaps it’s not surprising to discover Toni lives in one of the most extreme climates on earth--Manitoba, Canada. Formerly a Marine Biologist, she still misses the ocean.

In January 2016, she visited FBI Headquarters in Washington DC, including a tour of the Strategic Information and Operations Center.


For more information about Toni:
Website: https://www.toniandersonauthor.com
Store: https://toniandersonshop.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/tonianderson...
TikTok: tiktok.com/@toni_anderson_author
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/toni_anders...
Newsletter: https://www.toniandersonauthor.com/ne...
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show...

Start reading Toni's award-winning, bestselling Cold Justice® series with A COLD DARK PLACE.

If you want to know when Toni's next book will be out, visit her website https://www.toniandersonauthor.com or sign up for her newsletter https://www.toniandersonauthor.com/ne...

Reviews

[Saly · Rating 2 out of 5]

So, not for me, I didn't like or believe the romance or find a connection with any of the characters.

The hero was too hung up over his wife who died twelve years ago. She cheated on him and was pregnant with her lover's child (her PH.D adviser) and he had already kicked her out. He became a cop and obsessed with proving the fact that his wife was murdered. He used the heroine as well stealing her key-card to break into the college where her wife's lover worked.

The heroine is pretty messed up as well, she was 15 when she seduced her mother's mentor, who was 42 and became pregnant and depressed and gave away her baby. Her mother the senator never prosecuted that man and she has been in bad relationships ever since, now at 36 she wants a family. She just lost one of her close friends.

Honestly, the book had no heat and I never felt any emotion between anyone. She starts sleeping with him knowing that it would not go anywhere. I kind of found the real killer and everything icky.

Not the book for me.

[MostlyDelores · Rating 2 out of 5]

What we have here is a romantic suspense set in a marine biology institute in St. Andrews, Scotland. Should be good, right? Yeah, should be.

She's a marine biologist specializing in Octopi--does that play into the story? No.
Everyone is a diver--any diving in the story? No.
Her mother is a high-powered politician--relevant? Not really.
His wife died twelve years ago--still a sore subject? YOU HAVE NO IDEA.

He's a dick, she's an icicle, they both have secrets, blah, blah, blah.
Everyone at the marine biology lab is sleeping with everyone else, most of them are not happy about it.
Plus there's a psycho killer.

[Anita · Rating 4 out of 5]

A little too thick on the prose and a tad too much angst. It is also very uneven in the plot development and light on motivations. I don't care for a book where logical, smart people behave in really bizarre ways. Several really good choices for the baddie and the romance is hot. Two reasons I kept reading through the first half of the book. It got better in the second half.

Susie Cooper is a marine biologist from America who has taken a position in St. Andrews Scotland for a number of reasons, but first and foremost, she is running away from a lot of stuff. She is looking for a new life that she wants to include a man who loves her and a family of her own. She knows with one look that Nick Archer is sooooo not that man.

Nick Archer was a student at St. Andrews when he fell in love and married, only to have his fantasy die with his cheating wife. For twelve years he had believed she was murdered and he is sure who did it. As a cop he needs proof the get the justice he has long sought. His attraction to Suzie is only getting in the way of his quest: proving Jared Sizemore, Suzie's boss, killed his wife.

When another of Sizemore's students turns up dead, Nick is determined to prove Sizemore did it. He just can't quite make it fit however. Now Suzie is in the middle and finding the killer becomes even more important as Susie is in the killer's sights. 3 1/2-Stars

[SOS Aloha · Rating 4 out of 5]

Suspicion always haunts the guilty mind. – Shakespeare

St. Andrews is home of an ancient castle, ancient cathedral, the Royal and Ancient Golf Club, and historic university. A university from which a royal romance blossomed between Prince William and Catherine Middleton. The same university that facilitates a murder mystery in SEA OF SUSPSICION. Even as the murder of a student unfolds, marine biologist Susie Cooper is attending a dinner party with colleagues where she meets Detective Inspector Nick Archer. She is surprised by her attraction to the rugged officer. Yet Susie has been on Nick’s radar for some time – Nick believes Susie’s boss is responsible for his wife’s death (she left Nick for the boss). Fate brings Susie and Nick together again in the investigation, where both confront emotional trauma that plagues their present happiness.

Anderson delivers a chilling intrigue in an idyllic setting. Romantic suspense is not my first choice of genres. Yet I enjoyed reading SEA OF SUSPICION as Anderson drew me into the story with characters who added depth to Nick’s quest for justice and Susie’s desire for a family. Anderson created the perfect balance between murder mystery and romantic suspense to appeal to a broad range of readers.

[Pamela(AllHoney) · Rating 4 out of 5]

Toni Anderson is a new author for me and I'm finding that I quite enjoy the style she has in writing. While not perfect I have no real complaints. I think the story flows smoothly and the whodunnit keeps you guessing and the romance has just about the right amount of steam. I recommend to everyone who loves romantic suspense.

[Laurie Wood · Rating 5 out of 5]

The best thing about this book is not just the well-drawn hero, Det. Insp. Nick Archer, or the heroine, Susie Cooper, a marine biologist, it's the well-drawn setting of St. Andrews, Scotland and the Gatty Marine Lab. It's not often in a romantic suspense you can learn so much about another country, marine biology, and feel you're intensely "in the action".

Toni Anderson has made her setting of St. Andrews the third character in this engaging romantic suspense, her first with Carina Press. I love gothic settings, and while Ms.Anderson might not think she's pegged her setting this way, I found it reminiscent of Mary Stewarts older gothics such as "Wildfire at Midnight".

Secrets, revenge, a sexual attraction that won't be denied, and a dead University student, are a potent mix in this romantic suspense. Nick Archer is flawed, but not broken, and Susie is at odds with her past but proves she has the inner strength to match her hero.

Here is a shortened quote from one of my favourite scenes: their first true interaction with each other:

"Bloody hell." He pulled out a cell phone, adjusting it to read the display in the poor light. Swearing, he looked at her with an apology in his eyes. And regret. Because she was a sure thing. "I've got to go."
...She dashed inside and closed the door. Locked it. He could have her car, no problem. But he couldn't have her. She wanted a relationship, a future, a family. Nick Archer was a lousy bet for anything except orgasms and heartbreak, and not even the orgasms were guaranteed."

If you like dark, edgey, and sexy, this book is for you. I look forward to more from Ms. Anderson, and I'm sure after reading SEA OF SUSPICION, so will you.Toni Anderson

[Bona Caballero · Rating 4 out of 5]

Una gozada, incluso en sus novelas menos conocidas, el estilo de Toni Anderson me va mucho. Tiene eso del buen suspense romántico que es mezclar bien los elementos, que el enamoramiento y la investigación vayan juntos, se imbriquen en una sola trama. La bióloga marina estadounidense, Susie Cooper (36) trabaja en un laboratorio universitario en St. Andrews (Escocia). Se produce el asesinato de una estudiante, y ello da pie a que intervenga el policía Nick Archer (también de treinta y muchos).
El misterio está bien construido, el romance, complejo, pues no están en el mismo momento vital.
El entorno resulta atractivo y algo insólito, recorriendo St. Andrews, con sus casas de piedra, sus ruinas, los pasillos de la universidad, la niebla que viene del mar, la playa solitaria, el mar del Norte... Lo estaba viendo en mi cabeza casi casi, como un noir escandinavo. Reseña algo más extensa, en mi blog.

[Liz Mc2 · Rating 2 out of 5]

I read another of Anderson’s books I liked much better, but this one didn’t work for me. The suspense plot was OK and she writes the big scenes well. I liked the scientist heroine and the setting in St Andrews. The cop hero was too pushy in the romance and seemed like a stalker at times. There was a lot of unresolved or underdeveloped backstory for hero, heroine, and other characters. Just too much going on and the motivations were implausible. Plus I don’t really like reading sex scenes between characters I don’t really like (who may or may not turn out to be the villains) and who are using each other in unpleasant ways.

[Book Utopia · Rating 4 out of 5]

I might not fall head over heels with every Carina title I read, but the vast majority of them have been solidly written and worth what I paid. This one just further cements my growing regard for this publisher.

Marine biologist Susie Cooper has started a new job at the Gatty Marine Lab, eager to make her mark. Her mother is about to seek the presidential nomination back in the US, but Susie has no desire to ride on her famous coattails. Intelligent and resourceful in her own right, she takes a firm hand with her graduate students, one of which turns out to be the sister-in-law of Detective Inspector Nick Archer. Nick keeps a close eye on the Gatty, ever since his dead wife cheated on him with her advisor, the same man who has now hired Susie. Nick has always believed Jake killed her, an obsession that drove him into police work as well as cost him any kind of permanent relationships. Susie lives next to Nick’s in-laws, as well as advises his sister-in-law, but their paths cross even more when another female student at the Gatty ends up dead. Susie and Nick fight their attraction, both dealing with their angst-ridden pasts, while Nick does everything he can to prove Jake is responsible for both deaths. Neither initiative proves easy.

The prologue shows the funeral of Nick’s dead wife, providing hints of the angst and conflict to come. The story then jumps twelve years into the future, introducing the reader to Susie and her environment at the Gatty. To the world, Susie comes off as a bit of an ice princess, an image she’s actually okay with as she struggles against the baggage of her mother’s job as an American politician about to make a bid for the presidential nomination. She’s smart enough to hope to gain recognition in her own right, and there are hints of what she went through when she was younger to explain why she’s so reluctant to get involved. Meeting Nick throws her senses into a tailspin, but she’s determined to resist him. Nick, on the other hand, is willing to use that attraction to get what he needs from her at the start in order to try and get evidence against Jake. It’s a complicated relationship, made even more so by their tumultuous pasts and the fact that neither is willing to forgive themselves for the wrongs of their histories. In the grand scheme of things, while the characters themselves are three-dimensional and fascinating, their budding romance is likely the weakest aspect of this novel. They spend ample time together, and there’s a lot of reflection on how and why they do and don’t work together, but the revelations that spark their ultimate commitment seemed to come out of the blue. I finished the story more convinced they’d have a really good sexual relationship for a little while, but not that it would last.

The romance, however, is probably the only aspect that doesn’t shine. The world in which the characters inhabit is brought strikingly to life. The author has firsthand knowledge of the setting as well as marine biology, and that ends up translating into a sharp realism that heightens the growing sense of danger, primarily because it’s so easy to believe in it. Coupled with that is a massive cast of characters that sport a wide variety of personalities, each one rich and developed. I was particularly impressed with Nick’s partner, a detective struggling to balance his job and caring for his ailing wife (who in turn gets her own incredibly moving scene). They provide a wonderful counterbalance to Nick’s more cynical nature, and serves to heighten the themes of family and devotion that permeate the entire book.

The mystery/suspense clips along at a solid pace. Just when I thought I had it figured out, it would twist in another direction, though the final reveal both surprised me and made complete sense. The climax isn’t quite as intense as I think it was meant to be, but that’s primarily because of a bit of telegraphing that occurred in its onset that ended up making portions feel redundant and repetitive. The last chapter drags more than any other in the novel, but that is because it’s all about Susie and Nick, and I just didn’t buy it completely. I enjoyed everything that came before it enough to compensate, though. If you enjoy tightly written suspense with a diverse cast of characters, this one just might be for you.

[Anne · Rating 4 out of 5]

Set along the coast of Scotland, Sea of Suspicion is a riveting story of suspense and the depths and heights of human character.

Nick Archer is a driven man. A police detective, he has one thing on his mind – finding the proof he needs to get justice for his murdered wife. Despite the fact that over a decade has passed since her death, he is still relentless in his quest.

Dr. Susie Cooper also has ghosts in her past. Above all, however, she wants a family. She knows she's made mistakes, but she is determined not to repeat them. And that includes not falling for the wrong man, a category which most certainly includes Detective Inspector Archer.

Despite being all wrong for each other, Susie and Nick meet at a dinner party, and then are quickly thrown together when one of the students at the Gatty Marine Laboratory is murdered. Multiple suspects, all equally viable, kept me guessing right up until the end.

One of the strongest points of the book is the secondary characters. Some are morally weak, some are sympathetic, and then some are truly the best of humanity. Case in point is Nick's friend and co-worker, Ewan. Ewan's wife, Amy, is dying of multiple sclerosis. The love and tenderness he has for her is absolutely touching. I know that people the world over deal with tragedy like this every day, but that makes it no less noble.

The only weakness of the book is the actual relationship between Nick and Susie. If I had a friend in the same relationship, I'd chalk it up to good sex and infatuation. Sure, it might turn into love – but I just didn't see it happen in the book. The relationship seemed a bit rushed – I didn't get a real feel that Nick and Susie were connecting.

Sea of Suspicion was still a fun read and trying to figure out whodunit definitely kept me entertained. Based on this book, I'm certainly interested in reading further books by the author.

Reviewed for TheRomanceReviews.com

[Lauren · Rating 4 out of 5]

Sea of Suspicion
4 Stars

A marine biologist at the Gatty Institute in Scotland, Susie Cooper wants to settle down and have a family. Unfortunately, the man her friend set her up with, Nick Archer, is more the love 'em and leave 'em type. Detective Inspector Nick Archer is obsessed with bringing the man who killed his wife to justice, and he is not above using Susie to do so. But when a student at the institute is murdered, he unwittingly draws Susie into the investigation and possibly makes her a target as well...

This is one of Anderson's earlier works and it has all the hallmarks of her excellent Cold Justice series. An intelligent and determined heroine, a sexy as sin detective and a page-turning mystery.

The suspense plot revolves around two separate threads - what really happened to Nick's wife and who killed the young student at the Gatty? Both are well-developed and the twists and turns keep the reader guessing. While it is possible to figure out the who-dun-it, the explanations really make one think about human nature and what people are capable of.

In terms of the romance, Nick and Susie have great chemistry. That said, there is a definite conflict between Susie's life goals and Nick's commitment issues. Moreover, some of his actions are morally questionable and legally unethical. It is actually difficult to believe that they can have a future together.

All in all, the plot is exciting with some excellent action scenes and the romance has potential.

[Davia · Rating 5 out of 5]

Amazing story.

What a wonderful book. The murder of a hound student years earlier sets the stage for another murder in current time. One man's wife is killed in a shark attack where nothing can be proven......and now another grad student is killed. Can they finally find evidence to catch this killer? I was so surprised. Great book!

[Kate Sherwood]

DNF.

Made it to 43%, but I was gritting my teeth most of the way.

Interesting setting, and I would have liked to learn more about octopi.

But the characters are WAY too overwrought - EVERYBODY has a painful backstory, and the two MCs barely seem to be functioning adults, but are somehow successful at their careers and have friends who care for them.

I almost gave up when the heroine flipped out on the hero and said something like 'you don't love me and you'll never love me, because you're still in love with your dead wife!'. The woman has spent ONE EVENING with the guy, shared one kiss, and she's freaking out b/c he doesn't love her? What?!?

But, still, I soldiered on. Until I got to her REPEATEDLY telling him she wasn't interested, telling him she wanted him to back of, and him saying:

"Do you? Or are you just saying that because you're scared it'll be the best sex you've ever had?"

I mean... really? A) No means no, but B), what a cheeseball! He should be living in the seventies with too many buttons undone on his shirt and gold chains nestled into his chest hair. This guy is NOT sexy, AND he's an asshole.

Not to mention that he's committing this pathetic sexual harassment in the middle of a murder investigation. Despite his complete devotion to his dead wife, he's going to jeopardize an investigation that he thinks is related to her death because he can't keep himself from stalking a woman he just met the day before?!? What?

Nope. I'm out.

[Babs · Rating 5 out of 5]

Nick had lost his wife to the sea. She was a good diver, but she was alone and no one knew what happened. Nick thought he knew who he killer was, her boss she had an affair with. Twelve years later Nick is trying to find out just who did kill his wife when another girl at the university was killed. Could the girls be connected some how? Susie is a marine bologist who's mother is a politcian which makes for a fun mother daughter time. She runs into Nick and does not care for him much at all. She tires her best to stir clear of the man. Can she help Nick move on? Can Nick really find out who is killing these girls? You will have to read this to see. This was a wonderful read.

[Wendy Soliman · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved Toni's first book and was worried that this one wouldn't live up to expectations. I needn't have concerned myself. If anything it was better. It brought Scotland to life for me and I could feel the conflict, the need for answers, in her hero and heroine. I had one or two tiny issues with the plot, which I won't mention here for fear of spoiling it for the rest of you, but they were very minor. In fact, I'm probably being over-critical.

A fabulous, thoroughly satisfying read that I would recommend wholeheartedly.

[Blackravens Reviews · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5 Ravens. Sea of Suspicion by Toni Anderson is a true on the edge romance suspense that will have you holding your breath because it’s that intense. To read the rest of this review, please visit http://www.blackravensreviews.com/?p=...

[Alicia Dean · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great book. I read Her Sanctuary and immediately became a Toni Anderson fan. Sea of Suspicion didn't disappoint. The setting was authentic and captivating, the love story passionate and emotional, and the suspense riveting and fast-paced. Can't wait to read the next one!

[Susan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Toni writes interesting romantic suspense stories. I really liked her first book "Her Sanctuary" and this was a good follow-up. I'm looking forward to reading the rest of her books which I just bought for my Kindle.

[Diana · Rating 4 out of 5]

I liked it more than I expected to and I'm going to buy this author again. I liked the DIFFERENT setting in a Scottish coastal university town. I liked the very literate prose and intelligent mystery. Pleasant discovery.

[Harlequin Books]

Miniseries: The East Coast of Scotland

[Adriana · Rating 4 out of 5]

Toni Anderson is so very good at coming up with mystery murder stories... Marine biologist Susie Cooper left America for a job on the Scottish coast, away from her mother's political pressures and her own sad past. Having recently lost her best friend in a diving accident in Australia, Susie is still reeling, when a murder shakes her to the core. More than ever, Susie is aware that life is precious and can end in the blink of an eye. Determined to find the right man to start a family with, the last thing she wants is to be caught on the radar of one sexy Detective Inspector Nick Archer... Nick doesn't do relationships. After his cheating dead wife betrayed him, he will never do the wife thing again. But he would "do" Susie in a heartbeat. For the past twelve years, Nick has been on a quest to avenge his wife's murder, which made Susie a means to an end. Getting close to her might help nail the man who took it all from him. Except that the more time Nick spends with Susie, the more he wants her. When Nick's investigations take him into an unexpected turn, will Nick manage to save the woman he loves or will he still fight for the one who he swore to avenge? Two murders, a killer on the lose, betrayal, lies, danger, sexual tension and a haunted man who will stop at nothing to learn the truth... A really great romantic mystery with awesome sex and unexpected twists. For a while, I thought the priest had killed his wife... but no...

[Ann C. · Rating 1 out of 5]

I read this book because of the locale. Which in this case really did not have much to do with the book. I read the first 3 chapters then skipped to chapter 20. Most of the first 3 chapters was thinking of sex, having sex, lust, etc. I skipped to chapter 20 and about a page in someone was demanding sex in order to feel better. I skimmed over that and continued to finish the book. The last few chapters tied everything up. So I did not miss anything by skipping most of the book.

Both of the main characters were unlikable. At 15, Susie seduced a 42 year old man and got pregnant. Again with the sex. She was not a strong character. To me she came across as weak. Nick was married 12 years earlier. His wife had an affair with her advisor, got pregnant, and was murdered. He is back at the university to see her killer caught and for that killer to pay. Nick is mostly about vengeance, anyway he can get it.

In the last chapter Nick is explaining that he can never love and marry again. He just can't go through all of the pain again. Then a couple of pages later he is demanding that Susie marry him.

I read the other book in the series before this one and gave it 1 star. I should have learned.

This book read like an author's first book. However, her newer books aren't much better. I have read 7 of her books. Two of those books I liked, the other 5 I did not like. I think I am through reading her books. I definitely will not buy anymore.

[The Book Worm · Rating 4 out of 5]

Sea of Suspicion is a great read, both from the suspense and the romance points of view. Susie and Nick have so many issues with their respective pasts - they both hold too many ugly secrets and it's easy to see why they are so weary of a serious relationship. I loved how in the end they managed to come clean with each other and start afresh, with no more secrets between them.
The suspense is great, and although I had my suspicions about who the culprit could be, there were a few twists and turns I did not see coming. Very well crafted.
There were one or two details that were left unresolved at the end and both the language and the sex scenes were a bit too graphic in places. Plus, I'm not entirely convinced that in the real world Nick would have ever been allowed to head a police investigation in a case where he had such a vested interest or that the evidence placed on Susie's car to incriminate her would have been so easily brushed aside, even though she had an alibi.
Other than that, Sea of Suspicion is a gripping suspense story with the hot romance between Nick and Susie as an added bonus. If you love the genre, you should not miss it.
This was my first first book by Toni Anderson but it will certainly not be my last.

[JigsawGirl · Rating 3 out of 5]

I went back and forth between disliking the hero and the heroine. That lasted for the entire book. Suzie and Nick both had a ton of baggage. Both could have used a good therapist. I was really tired of Suzie berating herself for over 21 years. I was sick of Suzie in general! Tbh, EVERYONE in this book should have had a therapist on retainer. Nick became tolerable toward the end.

One saving grace was that the killer was not obvious to me at first. There were so many red herrings. I could not believe how oblivious Suzie was to pretty much everything. Especially after someone was murdered so close to her.

Didn't feel much connection to any of the characters in this book. I was sick of Suzie, Nick, Emily, Lily, Rafael, Jake Sizemore and his family.

I think this book could have been much shorter. Every time I think it was done, it would continue. I just wanted it to end. I have read a number of this author's books that I enjoyed. This one, not so much.

[Meghan · Rating 4 out of 5]

kept me guessing

Two murders and a lot of doubts, intrigue and secrets. Dr. Cooper has a new job in Scotland and is trying to find happiness. Nick is a detective determined to find evidence Eid who killed his wife over a decade ago. The story has many parts and different paths that all intertwine and make for an amazing thriller. There is romance and hot scenes. There is family drama and baggage with all the characters. I kept changing my mind on who was guilty as the story progresses. The ending was fantastic and I love how everything was settled!

[Ann E Ehrisman · Rating 5 out of 5]

Best book read in long time

Loved every twist and turn of this book. Thought the death of her friend was going to tie into this but guess not. It's not very often that I haven't figured out the killer until the end but this book kept me changing my mind. Downloaded the second book and am ready to jump in to that one. Also loved the way Susie's character emerged in the book. He deserved to be punched in the nose.

[Annie · Rating 5 out of 5]

I got caught up in this story. It drew me in. From the characters to the plot line to the twists and turns. The characters were great. The self pity was getting a little old but understandable with the characters backgrounds. However the plot is what really got to me. I loved the twists and turns in this story. The real murderers (yes plural) was a real surprise and Nick was a competent detective who was able to work through everything. Seriously loved the book. Looking forward to the next one.

[Kelly A. · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed this book. Unlike some of the other reviewers, I found the story well plotted and the characters believable. People often have difficulty getting over traumatic experiences, wondering if they could have done something different and if they were partially the cause. Good mystery and auxiliary characters.

[Toni M. Dunkleberger · Rating 4 out of 5]

SURPRISE TWIST AND TURNS

Loved the book, the storyline and the characters. I didn’t like the political story here. It didn’t add anything at all and was a bit surprised the author decided to throw it in there. Also, she referred to a 60 year old woman as being old (in the story about Emily the Mother). I recommend reading it if you love suspense romance.

[Rena Rodrigues · Rating 2 out of 5]

so Jacob is such a shitty person I had a hard time just not rolling my eyes everytime we got to his POV. As always, I dont like how Anderson gives us too much detail from some offender’s POV like the scene with the professor/student, I feel like it was a bit much and there were ways around it
all and all, not my fav